Press

Lakeside Theatre stages screwball holiday romantic comedy

BG Independent News

Toledo Native Mary Boyer Returns To Star In Glorious At The Maumee Indoor Theater

The Mirror Newspaper

Lakeside Theatre Company's 'Glorious!' brings humor, heart to true story of a terrible singer

The Toledo Blade

wgte public media logo
Fred Lefebvre Morning Show logo
Toledo City Paper logo

Reviews

BG Independent News logo

‘Glorious’ brings comic, heart-warming tale inglorious vocalist to the stage

BG Independent

The Blade logo

1940s radio play crackles with Christmas comedy

The Blade

BG Independent News logo

Lakeside Theatre Reviews

BG Independent

BG Independent News logo

Area Theater Troupes are in a family way

BG Independent

Mama (Maria Kelly). right, with Uncle Chris (Mary Aufman).

Lakeside Theater stages heartfelt ‘I Remember Mama’

While Ibsen’s original Nora and her family lived in Norway, “I Remember Mama” centers around an extended family of Norwegians living in San Francisco. This sentimental look at the life of the Hansons, living in the beginning of the 20th century, is being brought to the Maumee Indoor Theater’s small stage by the Lakeside Theatre Company.

Mama (Maria Kelly). right, with Uncle Chris (Mary Aufman).

The troupe frames the performance as being presented by a theatrical society or as described one their leader, “Our merry troupe of women.”

The cast features 10 actresses, most playing two or more characters.

Katrin (Karen Noble), the daughter of the Hanson family with literary ambitions serves as our guide. First, we meet her immediate family, then the aunts, and then the feared Uncle Chris (Mary Aufman), the reluctant patriarch of this sometimes unruly bunch.

Mama (Maria Kelly). right, with Uncle Chris (Mary Aufman).

The narrative focuses on the everyday trials of the family, which is strapped for cash, relying on the pittance they manage to set aside in the little bank.

And there’s never enough to buy Mama (Maria Kelly) that warm winter coat, she’d like, and certainly needs.

But there are always other expenses, such as the cost of sending the eldest, a son Nels (Melissa Shaffer). He’s an earnest good-hearted son, who aspires to become a doctor. The youngest Dagmar (Mary Boyer) is bursting with curiosity and love for animals.

Mama (Maria Kelly). right, with Uncle Chris (Mary Aufman).

Boyer, who also directs, takes on the greatest range of roles. Dagmar is a delightful, bright-eyed child, then later in the play Boyer plays Jessie, Uncle Chris’s mistress.

The father (Marge Sudheimer) is a carpenter, who works long and hard for his wages, and when he goes on strike, they have nothing coming in.

Christine (Vicki Scribner) is “the stubborn one,” who butts head with her sister.

Then there are the three aunts – the meddlesome Jenny (Karen Wiggins) and Sigrid (Carol Ann Erford) and the mousey Trina (Aimee Reed) – who hover about. It is Mama that Trina turns to tell that she wants to marry the undertaker Mr. Thorkelson (Scribner). Trina’s fear is that the other two sisters will mock her. He is not a very attractive prospect. Her fears are justified. They then push her to ask Uncle Chris for a dowry as parents provide daughters in the old country. That’s something he refuses to do.

Mama (Maria Kelly). right, with Uncle Chris (Mary Aufman).

To help make ends meet, the Hansons have taken in a boarder, the flamboyant Mr. Hyde (Aufman) who entertains them in the evening by reading classic literature in a high dramatic style, an inspiration to the writer-to-be Katrin. He’s little help though otherwise given he’s yet to pay them after three months.

All these seemingly mundane details add up to a vivid portrait of the family, and the resourceful, self-sacrificing mother at the center of it.

Testimonials

The Heiress was a fantastic production! The directing and acting was top notch! It was a truly enjoyable experience!

Rachael H

We really enjoyed our Sunday trip to Toledo and the Lakeside Theatre Company; it’s such a great venue for us to travel together and be among live theater! Your production of Eleemosynary was really wonderful. It was deep…and we loved The Heiress too! Thank you so much!

Therese O

The talent and professionalism from this group brings another level of theatre to Toledo!

Mark D

I really enjoyed the play Eleemosynary. It was vastly different than The Heiress but I found the characters and their relationships fascinating. Bravo! Great show! We are looking forward to your Christmas production.

Marianne S

We really enjoyed Remember The Night. Well done! We look forward to your next play.

Stacy C.

Remember The Night…All eight of us LOVED IT!!!

Gloria S

What a wonderful production we saw last night! The cast was outstanding!

Meg B

What a wonderful theater company!! High quality theater with Broadway caliber talent from both the local community and and the national stage. Keep your eye on this one!

Satomi H

Just got home from The Heiress.  It was a great play and a first rate production!  We really enjoyed it.

Jan G

Thanks for another quality, thought provoking, tear jerking, “wake up call” of a production!

Rachel H

I saw “Eleemosynary” and was very impressed with actors’ work on their characters. Excellent!

Sarah B-D

Fantastic performance!!!!

Sarah I

REMEMBER THE NIGHT was wonderful! All of my friends loved it and can’t wait to see the next one!

Pam S

Share This